Millions of people suffer from Alzheimer's, dementia, or other cognitive disorders. The number of people suffering from cognitive disorders will increase in the coming years as a larger percentage of the population enters old age. Many people suffering from cognitive disorders wander or otherwise become lost due to their disorder. If a person suffering from Alzheimer's or other dementia becomes lost, they may suffer serious injury.
Various means have been developed to track or locate patients with dementia or other cognitive disorders when they wander or get lost. These include Global Positioning System (“GPS”) location-tracking devices that a patient may wear along with a receiver device for the family or caregiver. If the person with Alzheimer's or other dementia becomes lost, the caregiver will be able to determine the location of the person by utilizing the receiver.
Due to the patient's cognitive disorder, the patient may try to remove or otherwise dispose of any location-tracking device that they carry or wear. For this reason, typical securing or clasping mechanisms such as those used for jewelry, wrist watches, or the like are not adequate for use in attaching a location-tracking device to a patient suffering from dementia. These types of securing or clasping devices are designed to be removed by the wearer without the need for additional assistance and are therefore inadequate for use with a location-tracking device designed to be worn by a person that is suffering from Alzheimer's or other dementia.
To prevent the patient suffering from Alzheimer's or other dementia from removing or otherwise disposing of a location-tracking device, many location-tracking devices for use with patients feature a means for locking the location device to the patient. In the case of a wrist or ankle wearable location-tracking device, the method of attachment may typically involve (i) the use of a disposable plastic band and clasp combination that must be cut off or (ii) a reusable clasping band that is secured by the use of a lock and key.
The use of a location-tracking device attached to a patient by a disposable plastic band and clasp combination, or the like, that must be cut off in order to be removed from the patient has several drawbacks. First, these securing mechanisms are not reusable. Second, the clasp and band combinations are typically made of thin plastic and are not comfortable. Third, the clasp and band are typically obtrusive, resulting in the patient being self-conscious about wearing the device.
The use of a location-tracking device that is attached to a patient by a reusable securing device that can only be removed by unlocking the latch or clasp with a key or removal tool also presents problems. The key to the clasping band can be lost, forgotten, or otherwise unavailable to emergency responders. The use of a key or removal tool to lock and unlock the clasp may also upset some patients.
Due to the limitations of traditional and previously developed means and methods for securing a location-tracking device to a patient, there exists a current need for more efficient and effective devices and methods for securing a location-tracking device to patients with dementia or other cognitive disorders.